Willow Placer Campground

Located in the Merced River Recreation Management Area 3.6 miles from the Briceburg suspension bridge, the Willow Placer Campground offers eight walk-in sites and a single drive-up group site with a 25-person maximum. Like other campgrounds in the Merced River Canyon, it offers great wildflower opportunities in the spring and a much longer season of hiking and fishing. The beach here is not as large as the McCabe Flat Campground, but a short walk from the campground, you’ll find good swimming in late summer after the spring floods subside.

With mostly walk-in sites, the Willow Placer Campground offers a generally quieter, more rustic option for families. Camping is on a first-come first served basis. Sites are $10/night or $5/night with the America the Beautiful Pass and can accommodate a maximum of eight people and two vehicles. (The maximum vehicle length is 18 feet.) Note that Willow Placer doesn’t have any water available in the campground, so bring some big water containers and be sure to fill up near the Briceburg Bridge when you go by.